


Red Sunrise over Redder Sands

by Fullsun_Sunflower



Category: NCT (Band), WAYV
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe - Historical, Alternate Universe - Western, Historical, M/M, Mild Blood, Mild Sexual Content, Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Parent Qian Kun, Slow Burn, Southern accents, Western, kun and doyoung got aged up a bit, main character ten, not everyone gets introduced at first just hold your horses yall
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-18
Updated: 2019-11-18
Packaged: 2021-02-08 11:07:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,332
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21474991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fullsun_Sunflower/pseuds/Fullsun_Sunflower
Summary: For some reason, this question made him hesitate. He knew his name, surely, it was Thomas- but for some reason that just didn’t feel right in his mouth. Well, it hadn’t ever felt right in his mouth really, but he never bothered with it, as it was the name he was known by. He could tell the vaquero his real name- Yongquin- or would that be too out of place? He wanted a new life for himself here after all, and he may as well go all in. He has nothing to lose after all. His mind fished through different names, rejecting all of them. Until… his favorite number? Well- it would be odd, but it had a nice ring to it. It sounded nice in his head- like it would sound nice rolling off his tongue.“My name’s Ten- Ten Li. And… how could you tell I was from the city?” he asked curiously, resting his chin on his arm, which he had leaned elbow down on the sanded countertop.++Sometimes, being chased out of your hometown at gunpoint has some upsides. And... a lot of downsides, as was expected. But making the best out of a bad situation is never something that gets discouraged, is it?
Relationships: Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul | Ten/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Kudos: 7





	Red Sunrise over Redder Sands

The train rattled beneath his feet as cold brown eyes stared out at the passing scenery from behind circular spectacles. His eyes picked out desert brush and red rocks as they rushed in and out of his view, the same thing he’d been seeing for the past two days. You think one would get bored of the view after a while- and he probably should’ve- but he didn’t really have the ability to feel anything right now but anxiety. His body was tense, and he hadn’t gotten a proper wink of sleep in days- well, that could be blamed on the cross-country transit, but it really wasn’t all that much due to it. His course hadn’t been planned. He had simply been in New York one day- the city he had spent nearly all his life in (so far, anyway)- and the next he was gone. Off on a three-week train venture to the wilds of southern New Mexico, running off with what was left of his father’s fortune in the form of banknotes on top of banknotes crammed together in a leather bag, something he had kept clutched close to his chest for most the time despite the heat.   
To anyone else, his shifty demeanor and loose money bag must have risen suspicion he robbed it, but he truly honest to god hadn’t. It really was all he had left of his family’s once large fortune- his father having one of the only immigrant-run banks in all of New York, a successful Chinese businessman, and he had been left to take over in his stead when he had passed. He had promised he would keep his mother and sister steady, keep the business afloat- but he’d failed. As an honest man, he would admit his mistakes- mistakes in borrowing money himself from the wrong people, getting in too deep with some locals and… well, now he’d managed to stir a whole mess so bad that he had practically been chased to the train station at gunpoint. 

He finally tore his eyes away from the window as he sighed, setting his bag on the seat- against both his leg and the window, better that no one would steal it that way, and opened it, pulling the few things out of the bag that wasn’t money. A pen and paper- thankfully grabbed from his desk in his flight. Whether it had been to write his will or some confession to his sins, he didn’t know. But now, as he touched the tip to paper, he wasn’t thinking about writing any of those. No, he had to write a letter home to his mother and sister, and at least hope to god that they were both still well enough to send him a response back. As he scratched black letters out against the paper, he noticed his handwriting was much sloppier than usual- well, that’s most likely to be the fault of the train’s constant shakiness as well, so there wasn’t really much he could do about it. 

'Mother dearest. How have you been since I’ve gone? I know it’s risky sending a letter back but… I just wanted to make sure you and the sister have been doing alright. I want to make sure you’re safe- did you manage to move in with Auntie Florence at least? I know I must’ve talked to her about something like this happening at some point. If you’re worried, I want to tell you I’m alright as well. I outran those men and am probably making a life for myself in New Mexico by the time you read this. I do wish I could tell you more about it- but I’m still on the train at this moment, so the future’s uncertain.   
I do hope you get this,  
Your son.'

He capped his pen once again as soon as he signed the letter, pausing to let the ink dry as he leaned his head back against the seat, eyes set wide like he was trying to stare holes into the ceiling. To be completely honest, he wasn’t happy with the length nor character of the letter, but it was the best he could do at the moment… and right now urgency definitely seemed to outweigh care. He checked his pocket watch after a few minutes, then tapped one of the letters with a gentle finger. No smudge. The ink was dried. A strange habit, sure, but it was one he learned from his father- and it wasn’t something he intended to stop doing. He folded the paper over and sipped it into the pocket of his jacket- he could find an envelope later when he, at last, got to his destination that is. He slipped his pen back into the bag at his side, closing it tightly before pulling it back onto his lap. His gaze soon returned to the scenery at the window, and he found himself glued yet again to the hypnotic passage of brush and rocks.

The train slowed and eventually crawled to a stop sometime later that night, another quick check to the pocket watch informing him it was now 10:36 in the evening. His eyes squinted as he tried to get a good look out the window, but even with his spectacles he could see next to nothing in the desert- the sky was moonless, which could probably be what was to blame for the lack of light. He sighed to himself and stood, gripping his bag tightly in his arms again as he was shoved to the exit of the cab by the rest of the crowd- nearly stumbling as he stepped off the train. He walked closer to the center of the platform, polished city shoes not taking long to collect some desert dust that rose under his feet with each step. He stopped near the back of the platform, and it did not take him long to be able to discern he stuck out quite sorely from the rest of the crowd here. Most of the people that surrounded him were lower working class, probably here to start their lives over. Well, that was the same purpose, but none would probably be able to tell from a look alone. His clothes were much cleaner and more high end than those belonging to the people surrounding him, and they carried many heavy bags of things alongside them- clothes and personal items they were able to carefully pack when he wasn’t. He got many side-eyes from people passing him- as he’d gotten all day and during his weeks of travel- but now he knew he wasn’t safe on the train anymore. He quickly averted his eyes to the side, seeing where people were going. There was a small, sleepy town practically flush up against the train station, but as he looked at the pure amount of people flooding into the place, he knew the chances of finding work were slim. 

Well… finding work there at least. He may be able to find work elsewhere… but how would he get elsewhere? Horses and saddles were expensive, and he was quite sure that this was about as far as a train could possibly get him. His mind attempted to continue assuring him that everything was alright, his feet seeming to be on autopilot as he walked out of the station, following the rest of the people in. He observed the town as he walked through it, and it was, by all means, a simple one, if anything consisting of the bare bones of what a town should be. Of course he felt out of place here… this was like his entire form had been compacted. He wasn’t made for small towns like this, he was made for his home. Made for New York. But there was absolutely no way he was getting back to New York now. 

As he walked past multiple little wooden stores that lined the dusty streets, he caught sight of a place that at least looked a bit more welcoming then where he was at the moment. Halfway curious and halfway just looking for a place to settle his nerves, he gingerly pushed the doors open- finding the inside to lend itself to being a saloon. He cautiously stepped in, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible as he found a snug seat at a barstool, ever so cautious as he glanced around yet again. Yes, this was definitely an honest to god saloon, a man-on-piano-gruff-people-arguing-tough-whiskey-shots-saloon if he’s ever seen one. Which he very much… hasn’t before. Apparently, he had been looking grimmer then he had originally intended, as a voice next to him soon piped up, thick with a Hispanic accent.

“Ey pal, why are you looking like that? Family troubles? Lady troubles? What kind?”

He jumped, his eyes snapping to the vaquero sitting next to him, looking at him with curious light brown eyes. He didn’t really know how to answer the man, his lips drawn into a line as he thought, before simply shaking his head with a heavy exhale, readjusting the glasses on his nose.

“I guess you could call it family troubles… but my main problem is I need a way to find work. Do you have any suggestions?” he asked, a sliver of hope appearing in his gaze, raising an eyebrow at the tan man next to him.

“Ah- if you know how to drive cattle I do.” the other man offered, putting his glass down on the bartop and facing him fully. 

The sliver of hope in his demeanor disappeared as he shook his head, the vaquero nodding understandably.

“Bad luck for you then. Hm… well I could ask around if you-” He stopped for a second, a realization seeming to pop into his head like someone lighting a fire, “wait! Do you know how to cook or clean at least? The cow boss says his wife's looking for new help around the ranch house."

He perked up at that. Cleaning was something anyone could do, and his mother had taught him how to cook early on… he remembers now that he complained about her lessons at the time, saying he’d never need them, but goddamn was he glad he hadn’t skipped out on them now.

“That I can do.” he offered, letting his face grow hopeful again as the vaquero nodded.

“Well I’m sure the boss’ll be happy to hear! I think they’ll still be up leading the cattle back in a few hours from now- we can ride out there then. For now let’s have a few drinks?” the man asked, looking quite set against the idea of leaving sooner then he had to- it was understandable after all, as it seemed he had just rode all the way out here- and to turn back around so soon would be a loss of time than anything else.

He nodded thoughtfully, sticking out a hand for a handshake, the vaquero seeming a bit surprised by the formal behavior, but had a hearty laugh to himself before shaking his hand.

“You’re from the city aren’t you? Rich background?” he asked with a sideways smile, “my name’s Hugo. What about you?”

For some reason, this question made him hesitate. He knew his name, surely, it was Thomas- but for some reason that just didn’t feel right in his mouth. Well, it hadn’t ever felt right in his mouth really, but he never bothered with it, as it was the name he was known by. He could tell the vaquero his real name- Yongquin- or would that be too out of place? He wanted a new life for himself here after all, and he may as well go all in. He has nothing to lose after all. His mind fished through different names, rejecting all of them. Until… his favorite number? Well- it would be odd, but it had a nice ring to it. It sounded nice in his head- like it would sound nice rolling off his tongue. 

“My name’s Ten- Ten Li. And… how could you tell I was from the city?” he asked curiously, resting his chin on his arm, which he had leaned elbow down on the sanded countertop.

A small bit of the sparkle in his eye was returning now, an inquisitive smile gracing his features. With time he could, and probably would return to himself as he was before this mess- just with a little more life experience, Ten guessed. Not like he was going to come back to New York any time soon though, as much as he would and does want to. 

“Ten? Spunky name- I like it.” Hugo said with a laugh, turning and calling the bartender over to order some drinks for the both of them before Ten could pay for anything.

Hugo then turned back to him, brushing some deep brown hair out of his eyes before speaking again.

“You just gotta keep up that you’re not an outlaw- as much as a good name that would make for an outlaw- well… actually ‘needs a bit more… sharp?”

“Sharp?” Ten mirrored back at him, mildly confused, “like the music sign?”

“No not like any music thing-” Hugo started with a laugh, “like, she needs a bit more… mystique? Like… Ten-shot Li or something.” 

“Weren’t we supposed to be talking about a job that you offered me?” Ten asked, another small laugh falling from his lips, followed by Hugo’s shrug.

“Business is boring though?” Hugo answered, his smile pulling back from a gleeful one to something more subdued, “but you have some point. I could take ya out tonight for a meeting with the boss if you want- but that’s only if you want to find someone on the ranch that wants to take you back- I mean- unless you want to buy a horse.”

“Oh so you’re not taking me back now?” Ten lightly joked, halting his actions only as the bartender slid them their drinks, and thanked the man before turning back to Hugo.

Hugo softly laughed in the background before taking a heavy swig of his whiskey, looking to Ten with a smirk and a slightly raised eyebrow.

“Naw man- It’s too late for that. I’m sure Mr.Moon would be willing to though. He likes your sort.”

Ten grew confused again, absentmindedly running a finger around the rim of his whiskey glass as he looked at Hugo confusedly.

“Mr.Moon?”

“Well, Theo. A good friend of mine- he’s an easterner, like you, and he seems to have taken a liking to any of your sorts if there’s no reason to hate you- well, it’s understandable, as there’s so little of you round’ these parts.”

Ten glanced around at the people around him, finding no others here who looked like him- and not even finding many who looked like Hugo, which was mildly unusual or so he’s heard. Ten looked back to the man with a shrug, taking a sip of whiskey before immediately coughing on it.

Ten… wasn’t a major drinker, that’s for sure.

“Oh yeah! You’ll love it down on the ranch.” Theo talked excitedly as he lead Ten out of the bar, Hugo trailing behind them, “Mr.Qian’s gonna love you if you’re jus’ not an ass. ‘M sure all the cowhands will too- you said you’re from up north- righ’?”

Theo, or Mr.Moon as Hugo had called him, turned out to be a shorter easterner, just like him. Although he’d most definitely been out here longer then he had, and Hugo had even told him Theo’d been there before he’d joined the ranch as well. He wore a big black hat that definitely said cowboy, and it was tipped back on his head at such an angle that you could see his full face. This- along with basically everything else about the man- helped Ten feel a bit less intimidated, and he would’ve usually complained about the hand grabbing his arm as he was lead down to where the horses were tied, but now not so much.

“Uh- yes.” Ten eventually responded, a bit too stiffly for his liking, but he was just like that around new people, “New York, actually.”

“Ooh? A city boy? Oh I know that Mr.Qian’s gon’ love you- you got those city manners~” He said, a large smile on his face as he looked back to Ten, finally letting go of him as they stopped in front of a large horse, who Theo immediately pat on the head and started untying from the post.

As he saddled the horse up, he looked Ten over, looking between the saddle and Ten with a concentrated squint. 

“Yeah- think that’ll work. You and me are both small ‘nough to fit in the saddle together.” He said, before hopping up on the horse and purposefully scooting forwards in the saddle, then looking back down to Ten with a wave of his hand.

“Get on ‘en.”

Ten hesitated on the ground, looking up to Theo with worried brown eyes, his feet softly scuffing against the reddened earth as he hesitated, kicking up small puffs of dust.

“I don’t know… how to mount a horse.”

Theo looked astonished by this revelation, before cracking an easy smile.

“Well- you’re even more of a city boy then I was thinkin’.” 

Ten shrugged as Theo offered him a hand up, instructing him on what to do all the while.

“Jus’ put your foot in that there stirrup and grab my hand. I’ll help you the rest’a the way up.” He said, his tone excited as Ten- who still had next to no idea what he was doing- grabbed his hand.

He put his foot in what Theo had indicated as the stirrup, and was not expecting the other to start heaving him upwards so suddenly. Ten was so caught off guard he stumbled in midair somehow and fell. Thankfully he fell frontwards instead of backwards- which sent him straight slammed against the saddle, which caused the horse to grow a bit uneasy, shifting under him as Theo quickly moved to comfort it. He quickly turned back to Ten though- who was now caught in some sort of limbo as his arms were now halfway reached around the horse, HIS back curved against the saddle and his ass sticking up in the air, holding on for dear life, as his foot hadn’t left the stirrup. Ten could tell Theo was barely hiding a laugh at his current position, and couldn’t help but to let out a huff of frustration.

“Calm down now city boy- you jus’ need to stand up fully and swing your other leg over.” He said, in the same calming voice he’d used for the horse.

“I’m- getting there…” Ten managed to get out as he struggled, eventually managing to kick his free-dangling leg up high enough to swing over the horse’s back, righting himself on the saddle.

“See! Y’got it!” Theo encouraged him, catching Ten off guard as he suddenly grabbed his arms and wrapped them around his middle.

“That’s a bit… friendly-” Ten commented, a bit off-put by this more than anything else Theo’s done, never really being one for hugs with people he doesn’t know or anything of the such.

“Well you ain’t gonna wanna fall off Luna ‘ere, do ya?” Theo asked with another small chuckle, giving the horse a gentle scratch behind her ear as Hugo mounted his horse next to them. 

Luna was bigger than Hugo’s horse, Ten observed, and she had a darker, more muddy-colored coat as well. Ten was curious, so he tried to make conversation about it- giving the horse a few cautious pets on her side.

“Sorry- Uhm… what breed is she?” he asked curiously.

Theo smiled proudly at the question.

“Well only my gotdamned pride an’ joy! She’s Missouri fox trotter, straight birthed outta the Arkansas mountains! I’ve had ‘er since she was a colt.” Theo happily explained, the smile on his face even visible in the moonless night as he suddenly squeezed at the horse’s sides, sending her trotting off- quickly upping to a canter, then a gallop- before Ten could even get another word in. 

A small shriek left Ten’s mouth as he was sent nearly bouncing off the saddle by Luna’s sudden movements, holding even tighter around Theo’s middle as a result of all this. Theo, of course, laughed heartily at Ten’s struggling.

“See? Told’ya you ain’t gon want to fall!” He exclaimed over the sound of the wind rushing past their ears, Ten not fully being able to process his sentence- focusing far too much on trying not to scream again to respond.

Luna’s hooves kicked up more of the red New Mexico dust as they rode, the moonless sky passing above them as the shadowed outlines of the hills were barely visible in the distance. It all had an odd rugged prettiness to it, even when Ten could barely see any of it- he made a mental note somewhere in his head to come back and appreciate it more when the sun had risen over the hills… and he wasn’t scared for his own well being on the back of a horse. Ten’s eyes were then pulled to more little blips in the scenery as they rode, Theo then turning down a fork in the path onto one that looked much less traveled, worn wooden fence posts eventually starting to line the sides of the path as they continued on. They eventually came to a sudden halt, which caused Ten’s face to press much too hard into Theo’s back at the sudden stop, accidentally shifting his full weight onto the man. It was quite an awkward position… which wasn’t helped at all by Theo hopping off the horse without warning, causing Ten to fall flat on the horse. Needless to say, Luna was startled a bit, shifting under Ten as he immediately clung tightly to her, which just made her more nervous.

“Boy that stop ain’t that hard!” Theo chided from the side, Ten watching him from the corner of his eye as he walked over to the horse, gently petting her to calm her down, before returning to what he had been doing.

Ten finally figured out how to sit up again as he watched him curiously, Theo pulling a key out of who the hell knows where as he unlocked the tall gates, before pushing them open and gently taking Luna by the reins. He walked her through the gates, Hugo slowly following them in. Theo then walked back around behind the horse, pulling the gates shut and locking them again. As Theo mounted Luna- Ten voluntarily wrapping his arms around him this time- Hugo stopped beside them, noticing Ten’s confused facial expression.

“Oh- Senor Kun’s nervous about bandits.” Hugo explained, “a couple of them got in one time- stole one of our prized bulls. So he got gates upfront and wants us to keep them locked.”

Ten just grew more confused at this, glancing around at the pasture surrounding them now.

“Couldn’t they just get in other ways?” he asked curiously.

Hugo shrugged.

“It’s what the boss wanted- we don’t question it.”

Ten drew his lips together as he thought about it, before nodding. Hugo had a point.

Theo then took off without warning again, Ten internally swearing as they leaped into a full gallop this time rather than gradually acclimating in speed, and he banged his head rather harshly against Theo’s shoulder. 

It didn’t take them much longer to reach the ranch house after that, a large, intimidating shadow against the moonless sky that both Hugo and Theo suddenly halted their horses in front of. Ten hesitantly slid off the horse after Theo had hopped off, not being surprised himself that he landed flat on his arse rather than gracefully on his feet like Theo did. He took Theo’s hand up as he sighed, Theo giving him another, more soft this time, smile as Ten jumped to his feet beside him.

“By the way- call me Taeil, would’ya?” he asked, crossing his arms as Hugo dismounted behind them.

Ten was confused.

“What’s that? A nickname?” he asked, it coming out rather more bluntly then he’d intended upon it being.

“No- Theo’s the nickname ya coot!” Theo playfully chided, giving Ten a good natured push in the shoulder, “Taeil’s the name my momma gave me.”

“...hm. That doesn’t sound Chinese to me…” Ten quietly pondered out loud, Taeil giving him an even more perplexed look.

“I ain’t Chinese either!” He chided him more, “I’m Korean- part-a the bunch that y’all Americans brought back over after that ‘expedition’ a’ yours.” 

“I’m confused-” Ten started, Taeil rolling his eyes, but the smile stayed on his face as he cut him off.

“I’ll splain’ later after we introduce ya’ to the boss.” he reassured him, motioning for Hugo to do the honors of knocking at the boss’ door this time of night.

Hugo shot him a weak glare before walking up to the ranch house, the wood of the porch creaking under his feet as he approached the door.

He knocked on the heavy sounding wood door, three heavy knocks to be exact, before shouting up the house,  
“Señor Kun! Eh- We got to see you! Right now!” 

Almost immediately, a light in the top-left window of the house flickered on, and the window suddenly flew open, a man half hanging out of it with a lantern in his hand- his face cast in shadow.

“At this hour? What is it?”

“We foun’ your new…” Taeil trailed off, searching for the right word before finding it, “foun’ your new help! Ain’t that great?”

“At two in the morning? Where’d you find him, some bar?” The man quipped.

His English mostly perfect, with just the slightest twang of southern, Ten observed. Kun did sound Chinese, so hopefully, he was right as to where this man was from.

Both Hugo and Taeil froze, looking at each other before looking back at Kun with twin guilty smiles.

“Maybe, maybe…” Hugo quietly said, Kun groaning and visibly putting his face in his free hand. 

“Fine. Let me go at least talk to the man. But if you brought me another dud, at this hour mind you, I won’t be very nice about it.”

“I promise you sir, Ten here ain’t no dud.” Taeil calmly tried to reassure Kun before he disappeared from the window, “...plus, this was all Hugo’s idea.”

Hugo looked over his shoulder and squinted at Taeil, opening his mouth to say something before the doors suddenly burst open, a woman appearing- shrouded in a knitted shawl tossed atop a frilled nightdress, holding a lit lamp in her hand which wasn’t clutching Hugo’s earlobe, tugging on it like he was a disobedient child of her own.

“I swear I’m going to grow all the wrinkles of an old hag in the next month if you insolent little cowhands don’t stop bothering me at all hours of the night-”

“¡Ay! ¡Ay! Woman I get it I get it- Dios mío!” Hugo exclaimed, wiggling free of her iron grip and immediately slapping his own hand over his ear, trying to rub away the pain as he stepped away from her, looking somewhere halfway between scared and concerned as he looked between Taeil and the woman.

“Looks like Señora Jane is mad again-”

“That’s Ma’am to you!” She cut Hugo off, muttering something along the lines of ‘god-damn Spaniards’ to herself as she noticed Taeil and Ten now, advancing on them instead.

“And you! You too, Theodore! You better be lucky you’re one of Kun’s favorites, or I would’ve-”

“Anita-Jane!” A stern voice called from the doors, everyone outside looking back in unison to see Kun, the very reason Ten had been brought here, standing at the top of the steps to the porch of the ranch house, the doors to the dark place ajar open behind him as he stood there, arms crossed before he uncrossed them, placing the lantern in his hand down on the stoop.

He walked towards them, the gravel crunching under his boots- which looked to have been put on in a haste. 

“Bluebell, why don’t you just step aside so I can talk to these men myself?” He asked, the light from Anita-Jane’s lamp finally spilling on Kun’s face now as he stood, and Ten could see what kind of a man he was.

He looked aged a bit, mostly by the desert and his work Ten guessed, a few fine wrinkles barely visible across his face as he looked at the two. His eyes were harsh and soft at the same time as he looked them over, but overall just tired, and Ten would guess mid-thirties at best for age on this guy. Coarse black hair fell haphazardly over his eyes before he brushed it back with a small sigh, Anita-Jane finally relenting after a few seconds of the staring match, and walking back into the house with a small huff. 

“That woman is a banshee- I’m tellin’ ya.” Taeil commented as soon as the doors were shut again, shaking his head as Kun quickly sent him a warning glance- which shut him up pretty fast.

“Anyways. This boy better be damn good if you woke me up in the middle of the night for him.” he said, placing a calloused hand on Ten’s shoulder before leading him towards the house, Ten hesitantly following.

The other two began to silently follow- before Kun spun around and stopped them with a raised eyebrow.

“Oh no no no no you two. You both’ll go back to the cowhands’ bunks and explain to the ones you woke up just why there was shouting at two in the damn morning.”

They both silently nodded, not making any protests about the command before getting their horses and walking back off towards the two smaller buildings a bit further off- where Ten assumed the bunks were. He absentmindedly wondered if he’d have to sleep there if he ended up landing a job here… although getting a job here seemed highly unlikely at this point, to be completely honest. 

Ten then proceeded to follow Kun into the shadowy house, the only sound after he’d closed the doors behind them being the sound of feet on floorboards as the light of his lantern guided them deeper in.

Kun, both hands on the lantern now, eventually approached a door to the left of them halfway down the first hall after the entrance. He freed one of his own hands to open it, walking in as Ten hesitantly followed. Ten nearly stumbled over some object left on the floor as Kun walked some ways into the smaller room and placed his lantern on what Ten could only assume was a desk, walking around and starting to turn on the lights. This of course, made the room less scary as he glanced around, finding a desk, a few bookshelves in the corners, a covered window, and a few chairs in the other corners that weren’t occupied by books. He looked down to see what he had tripped over, only to see that it was a cat of all things, which was now looking at him with flat-back ears and a very pissed expression before promptly getting up and dashing out the door.

“Don’t mind him.” Kun immediately reassured Ten, his demeanor having softened a bit since he wasn’t talking to the others anymore, “he doesn’t like people he doesn’t know much. Anyways- pull up that chair there.” 

He pointed to a smaller wooden chair in the corner of the room closest to Ten with a small nod of encouragement.

“Go on, you can relax it’s fine.”

Ten, still a bit scared and moving like a mouse cornered by a hungry feline, skittered to the corner and wrapped his hands around the cold wooden back of the chair, before lifting it with his arms and haphazardly waddling back over to Kun’s desk with it. He set it down on the floor with a heavy thud, before practically falling into it with a heavy breath,  
“I’m sorry I’m just-”

“Hush.” Kun cut him off, resting his elbows on the lacquered top of his desk before continuing, “I don’t need an explanation right now. I wish we could’ve done this in more professional conditions but- Taeil and Hugo insisted on bringing you now, so I can make due.” he insisted, brushing his hair out of his face for the second time before continuing on.

“Anyways, I think I would prefer to get this done as soon as possible so we can all go to bed… sound alright to you?”

Ten nodded, deciding now that it would probably be better to only speak when asked to- or asked questions- and Kun nodded back in response.

“Righty then, where to start, where to start…” he started, mumbling to himself as he rummaged around his desk, pulling a pen out of a drawer, holding it in between his teeth as a small ‘ah-ha!’ left him, his hands pulling out a slip of paper from a different drawer.

He put it down and tried to smooth the creases out on the wooden top of his desk, then taking the pen out of his teeth’s grip as he moved to talk to Ten again.

“I hope ya don’t mind if I take some notes here- it helps me to look back at em’ later and compare em’ with the other applicants- well, if we end up having any other… proper applicants anyways.” he said, shaking his head with a small exasperated smile on his lips, one of his hands casually waving to the waste bin that held a bunch of crumpled papers, “all the applicants Hugo and Taeil have brought me so far have been… well, they’ve been needin’ some washin’ an’ shapin up, if you know what I mean.”

Ten nodded, too nervous to laugh at the joke himself at the moment, leaving an awkward silence that lingered on for a few seconds before Kun coughed, seeming to redawn his business attitude as he straightened his posture again, his smile becoming a bit less warm.

“So, tell me ‘bout your past work experience. You sound like you’re not from around here either… what brings a-” Kun’s eyes scanned over Ten’s clothes, making eye contact with him as he continued, “-city folk like yourself all the way out to places like a ranch right outside Strongstand New Mexico?”

Strongstand. So that was the name of the town Ten had passed through. It had only occurred to him now that he’d never caught it. He made a mental note to be more observant next time- as lack of awareness was… never good in any situation.

“Well, I used to run my father’s bank up in New York after he passed- But… we fell on hard times and I was… faced with no other choice but to drop everything and move on.” Ten answered in his best ‘smart person’ talk, purposefully skirting around the whole ‘oh yes also I made a deal with the wrong sorts of people and they chased me to the train station at gunpoint’ part.

“Ah- so you’re a banker boy. You know how to manage finances then I take it?”

“Yes. That and I can tell you with confidence that I can make a mean chǎo má shi with dumplings if you give me the time to.” he said with a small wink, faking some confidence as he pulled a smile on, figuring a good first impression was probably better than one that didn’t deliver whatsoever. 

“Well, that’s mighty persuasive I must say- I’ve been eating American food for the last… 14 years?” Kun explained, regaining a small spark in his eyes at the mention of something that he obviously likes, Ten trying his best to play up on this.

“Aw well that’s no fun is it?” 

“None at all. You know how to make more than that?”

“I know enough- and my mom has this big old cookbook that I could probably have her mail down here to me.”

Was Ten about to score a job just based off his ability to cook food (which he may or may not be exaggerating)? Who knows to be honest. It would be nice if he could though.

The rest of the interview went fine, Kun telling him that he’d set Ten up for a few nights at the hotel back in Strongstand while he thought on it. He’d called him “nice and honest enough for a New Yorker”- which at least in Ten’s own eyes- couldn’t be more wrong. 

One slightly annoyed and very sleepy Taeil taking him back to Strongstand later, Ten’s feet were back on the dusty roads under the light of the stars. He could barely see, as most of the shops had their lights out now, and it was an odd experience to be on a street without it bustling with life. He quietly walked to the hotel Kun told him he had set him up at, knocking lightly on the front desk to wake the man sitting behind it up.

“Damn- boy you’re lucky I fell asleep here- cuz I would’a already been gone if I’d been ‘wake twenny minutes ago-”

“Sorry about that sir.”

“Wha’s a boy even doin out this late anyway?”

“Job interview.”

That earned him a skeptical look from the man as he gave him his room number and a key, but Ten brushed it off nonetheless as he walked up the stairs, too tired from his day and the journey before, to even bother about taking in his surroundings. He found his room number, opened the door and took care enough to lock it behind him- before promptly collapsing on the creaky bed to sleep.


End file.
